“Catholics must not be sleeping monsters”: Catholic Archbishop at Close of Third National Laity Congress in Angola

Luanda, 29 July, 2025 / 8:55 PM

Archbishop José Manuel Imbamba of the Catholic Archdiocese of Saurimo in Angola has urged lay Catholics to reject passivity and live out their vocation as active witnesses of the Gospel in society.

In his homily during the Sunday, July 27 closing Mass of the Third National Congress of Catholic Laity in Angola, Archbishop Imbamba cautioned docility towards Church activities, amid challenges.

“Catholics must not be passive or sleeping monsters. The laity must be inserted and committed in all temporal realities—politics, culture, economy, and science,” the Angolan Catholic Archbishop said during the Eucharistic celebration that was held at the University of Namibe.

He emphasized that every baptized person is called to transform the world through authentic and lived faith.

Reflecting on the theme of the gathering, “The Layperson as Salt of the Earth and Light of the World”, Archbishop Imbamba invited the over 300 participants to “awaken, enlighten, ferment, and give flavor to the world with the values of the Gospel.” 

 “Leave this Congress transformed, aware of your living mission, and committed to spiritual and social renewal,” the Angolan Catholic Bishop, who serves as the President of the Bishops' Conference of Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe (CEAST), said.

The Archbishop of Saurimo identified secularism, distraction, and the absence of God from everyday life as critical threats to the vitality of lay witness. 

“Many are engaged in activities that neither elevate nor transform us. We must consciously place God at the center of our lives and resist a secular culture that distances us from what is essential,” he said.

The Catholic Archbishop, who started his Episcopal Ministry in December 2008 as Bishop of Angola’s Dundo Diocese, underscored the importance of prayer, saying, “Prayer is the soul of the mission. Before any apostolic action, there must be communion with God. Faith grows only from an intimate encounter with Him.”

The Archbishop reminded the people of God that Gospel values demand more than private devotion. 

“Bread is a gift from God, but it is ‘ours,’ not ‘mine. Sharing and solidarity are not ideals but Gospel obligations,” Archbishop Imbamba said.

He challenged Catholics to respond to injustice, poverty, and exclusion by offering forgiveness, fostering reconciliation, and healing societal wounds.

The mission of the layperson, Archbishop Imbamba said, requires courage and concrete action. “We must bring our faith into hospitals, schools, universities, parliaments, businesses, science, and sports into all the temporal spaces where we live,” he said.

He urged lay faithful from all 20 Dioceses of Angola and the Diocese of São Tomé and Príncipe to embrace their identity as “salt and light”, saying, “Your Christian witness must be visible, authentic, and transformative. It is not just a motto, but a daily mission to build God’s Kingdom here and now.”

Archbishop Imbamba called for a renewal of Christian conscience, saying, “We cannot be complacent within the structures of evil. Faith must not be lived in fear or shame. The authenticity of discipleship demands boldness and personal transformation.”

With Angola celebrating 50 years of independence, Archbishop Imbamba described the Jubilee as “a historic opportunity for national, spiritual, and social renewal.” 

He invited the faithful to reflect together on their Christian and social identity “in this singular time of grace, with renewed hope for a reconciled and united Angola in the Lord.”

The CEAST President urged all lay Catholics to pursue holiness in ordinary life, saying, “To be a saint is not to do extraordinary things. It is enough to live one’s vocation well—whether bishop, priest, religious, teacher, magistrate, politician, father or mother.” 

True holiness, he emphasized, is found in family life, work, politics, and culture. 

“By living our vocation well, we transform society and make all things new, building a more just, reconciled, fraternal, and joyful world—one that reflects the presence of the Gospel,” Archbishop Imbamba said in his July 27 homily.